Poultry
What wine goes with duck?
Duck is more like red meat than it is like chicken. The breast is dark, the fat layer is thick, and the flavour is rich and gamey. It can handle wines that would bury chicken entirely, and it deserves them.
Duck confit, duck breast with a cherry sauce, Peking duck with pancakes, duck rillettes - all different animals from a pairing standpoint. The fat-rendering technique (slow confit vs quick sear) and whether it's served with fruit or spice changes the match significantly.
The best matches
Pinot Noir
About this grapeThe classic duck pairing, especially for duck breast with a red fruit reduction. Pinot's red cherry and earth notes echo the savoury-sweetness of the meat. A serious Burgundy with duck confit is one of the great combinations in French cuisine.
Grenache / Southern Rhone
For duck confit or duck legs braised with olives and herbs. The spice, warm fruit, and rusticity of a Chateauneuf or Gigondas sits perfectly against the slow-rendered fat and the herbed cooking liquid.
Malbec
About this grapeFor duck with darker, more robust preparations - black bean sauce, a deeply reduced jus, or Peking-style. Malbec's violet and dark plum notes bridge Asian spice and the richness of the skin.
Viognier
About this grapeA left-field white option that genuinely works with Peking duck or duck in an apricot-ginger glaze. The peachy, floral character of Viognier bridges the sweetness and the aromatic spice.
What to avoid
Light, delicate whites. Duck has too much flavour and fat for a Pinot Grigio or a light Sauvignon Blanc to work with. They taste washed out within a mouthful.
One thing to keep in mind
Duck skin crisped up in a pan has a different flavour to slow-rendered confit skin. The pan-seared version has a more intense, slightly bitter char that handles higher acidity better.
Scan the bottle you're considering
SomeWine identifies any wine from the label, shows the pairing notes, and can suggest what to open from your cellar based on what you're cooking tonight.
Download SomeWine